The folks who brought The Twilight Saga to cinemas are now producing another bloodlusting film called Vlad, but this time without the vampires. Vlad III was a real-life 15th century ruler who inspired the whole Dracula-vampire lore. (Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, partially based on the real Vlad’s exploits, ignited the frenzy that's grown into the pop-culture phenomenon it is today.)
Vlad III was known as "Vlad the Impaler" for killing tens of thousands of European civilians by impalement. But Summit Entertainment and Brad Pitt's Plan B, which is also producing, won’t be able to work in the 'vampire transformation' part of the story due to negotiations with screenwriter/Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam, says Entertainment Weekly.
Hunnam reveals the film will instead be a mixture of Braveheart and 300 under the direction of music-video helmer Anthony Mandler, who's worked with artists such as Rhianna and the Killers. A reel he put together wowed execs and drew comparisons to 300—which also had a killer soundtrack cut to beautifully crafted cinematic slaughter.
By going against the vampire grain, the project looks like it could provide an interesting, different take on the man behind the Dracula myth.
